


The First Date

by tulsaokgreasers



Category: The Outsiders - S. E. Hinton
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-24
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-16 15:34:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28958784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tulsaokgreasers/pseuds/tulsaokgreasers
Summary: Darry works up the courage to ask one of his co-workers on a date.
Relationships: Darrel Curtis/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 5





	The First Date

They were hammering shingles in the roof, a cold sweat dripping down her back. It was hard work going up and down the ladders and carrying bundles. But they had gotten their first frost overnight, So it was freezing out. She was in her own headspace, focusing on hammering in nails.

"Jack, you still with us?" Clark asked, she snapped out of her daydream, looking over and seeing the guys taking a break.

"Sure am Clark, I'm just not slacking off." She replied, he chuckled.

"We've been at it for hours, take a break kid." He said, she shook her head.

"We'll be at it longer if you keep sitting on your keister." She replied, continuing to work. Darry came up, carrying two bundles at once.

"What is this? Some sorta banquet?" Darry asked, setting down the bundles.

"What you two young-ins don't understand is this don't get easier with age." Jerry said, taking a swig from his flask.

"Both of y'all, take a break. 5 minutes is all." Clark replied. She sighed, wiping away sweat and rolling over on her butt. Darry secured the bundles and walked over to her, sitting next to her.

"So, tell us, what are y'all?" Jerry spoke up. She looked at him confused.

"What do ya mean?" She asked.

"Don't play dumb, we see you and Curtis are awful friendly with each other." Clark grinned. Her and Darry exchanged glances, he shrugged.

"Well yeah, we're friends." He replied. She nodded.

"Seems to be more than friends to me." Jerry shrugged.

"I reckon you wouldn't know what a friend was if it hit you over the head, old man." She said with a grin. "now that we're done dilly dallying, I'm getting back to work." She stood up, walking down the ladder to grab more nails to put in her tool belt.

"Curtis, just between us men, what do you really think of Valli down there?" Jerry asked.

"Hard worker." He replied simply, undoing the bundle and going to hammer in more shingles.

"You know, take it from us old folk, if you see a diamond in a cave full of coal, you best pick up the diamond fast, son." Clark said, going back to work as well. Darry pretended not to hear him, but what he said hit him hard. He liked Jackie, maybe more than what he let himself to believe. They'd grown awful close working on projects together, he even found himself looking foreword to lunch breaks so they could talk. She knew the score real well, them relating to each other's day to day struggles. He even opened up some on stuff he never told anybody, not even his closest buddies. After thinking about it the rest of the day, he decided to take a chance. As they packed up, the sun was setting it had gotten even colder than earlier, their faces red as the wind nipped their nose and cheeks.

"Jackie." He called as she threw her tool belt in her car.

"Hey Darry, chilly day." She retorted.

"Yeah, sure is." He replied, putting his fists in his pockets. "Look, I have a question." He said, feeling his heart beating fast in his chest, he never felt this nervous before.

"Shoot it." She replied.

"Would you, if you're free and all, wanna get a beer or something?" He asked, he wanted to kick himself, back in high school he never got this nervous asking a girl on a date, he must've been outta the game longer than he thought.

"You wanna get a beer with me?" She asked, her lip twitching into a smile.

"Yeah, I do." He replied, grinning back.

"How does Charlie's tavern sound?"

"Real good, I'll meet you there." He replied, chuckling. She nodded, getting in her car and starting it, pulling out. He quickly walked to his car, Jerry and Clark approaching him.

"We see that look on your face." Clark chimed up, "Spill it, Curtis."

"We're going and getting a beer." He shrugged, trying to hide the smile on his face.

"Atta boy." They chuckled, hitting him on the shoulder.

"Stop it guys, I gotta go." He replied, getting in his truck.

"Don't mess it up." Jerry replied, he nodded, going to drive to Charlie's. When he got there, he walked in to find her sitting at a table, two beers next to her.

"Hey, I was gonna take you for a beer, not the other way around." He said, sitting in the seat across from her and taking one.

"I'm gonna be honest with you right now Darry Curtis." She said, this made him nervous. "I've liked you for a long time, I'm real glad to be here."

"Likewise." He responded with a smile. He couldn't stop looking at her.

"What? Do I got somethin on my face?" She asked furrowing her eyebrows.

"Just a little smudge right here." He replied, pointing on her cheek, she quickly wiped where he pointed just for him to laugh. "I'm just kiddin, it's just that, you're real pretty Jackie."

"You're just saying that." She scoffed.

"No, honestly, I'm not. Like your eyes are just magnetic, you're naturally a pretty girl." He said, "But it ain't just that because there's no way you don't get that a lot. You know the score real well Jackie, it's like I don't have to put up a façade around you and you're a hard worker, real determined." He said.

"Thank you." She said softly, taking a drink of her beer. "You're a good man Darry." She said.

"I try." He responded.

"Well you are, I can tell. I usually ain't wrong about people." She said.

"Is that so?" He chuckled.

"It is. My mama use to say I see right through people." She replied.

"You never mentioned your mom before." He said, she shrugged.

"Sometimes, you don't gotta be able to see through people to know when they shouldn't be in your life." She responded, taking a long sip from her beer, he took a sip too.

"She sure is missing out." He replied, leaving it at that. Maybe one day they'd talk more about it, but he wanted it to be a good night. He knew this part of the neighborhood's parents weren't all like his, hell most weren't, so he didn't want her to feel uncomfortable by asking more about it.

"Can I tell you how I know you're a good one?" She asked.

"Yeah, I would love that." He responded.

"Because you don't talk much about yourself. All I hear is your brothers and how great your folks were, but never much about you and your dreams. It takes a selfless person to work as hard as you do and not complain." She said, not breaking his eye contact. "So, tell me now, tell me about you."

"Well, I don't know what to say." He chuckled, then his eyes widened. "Speaking of my brothers, could you give me a minute." He said, getting up and going to a pay phone, putting in his number.

"Curtis house." Soda answered, he could tell by his voice.

"Soda it's Darry." He said.

"Where are you? Dinner's ready." Soda asked.

"Eat without me, I'm getting a beer with somebody." He replied, calling so they didn't worry.

"Who?" Soda asked curiously.

"I'll tell you when I get home, I gotta go." He said.

"Alright, have fun." Soda said, hanging up. He came and sat back down, Jackie finishing her beer.

"Can we get two more over here?" Darry asked, raising his arm and looking over at the bartender. Charlie came by, popping off the caps and setting them on the table.

"Thanks Charlie, so did you think about what I asked?" She questioned, leaning back in her chair.

"Well, you already know I roof houses and work at a warehouse full time. I played football in high school, watch over my brothers..." He began.

"Yeah I know all that, but those are all hard facts, tell me about your dreams, where you see yourself in the future." She replied, giving him an encouraging smile.

"Well, I don't think about it much but I hope when Ponyboy goes to college after awhile I'll be able to go too. Maybe even show Soda anything is possible so he'll get his GED at least, I also see myself not being alone anymore." He said, a gleam in his eyes. "I see myself seeing you again, outside of work." This made her smile, reaching out her hand and grabbing his.

"I see that too." She said, her voice soft.

"You do?" He asked, his voice hopeful.

"Yeah." She replied, using her other hand to take a drink.

"Tell me about you, like something I don't know already." He said, his heart fluttering.

"Well I don't like bell peppers." She chuckled.

"Oh damn, that's definitely a deal breaker." He joked.

"In all seriousness, I see myself starting my own business one day building and roofing houses. I've always wanted to do it, since I was a kid. I even built this little house near 45th street I would go to when I wasn't welcomed at home." She shook her head nostalgically.

"I guess we're different in that aspect, I never saw myself doing what I do now." He replied. "after I turned down my athletic scholarship, I began roofing, hoping to save up for college that way, I never knew that over 3 years later I'd still be doing the same thing." He sighed.

"I see you doing bigger things than this." She agreed.

"Is that your psychic ability thing talking?" He asked.

"No, that's just plain ole common sense. You're too smart to just be hammering in shingles day in and day out." She said, drinking her beer. He didn't know what to say to that, drinking his own. "But this is only temporary, just like it is for me. Hell, maybe one day we'll be big shot business partners." She grinned.

"You remind me a lot of my younger brother." He said.

"How so?"

"You're a dreamer, you think far ahead at least. I only take in the facts day by day." He said.

"Well maybe you outta change that. There's more than meets the eye Darrel Curtis, sometimes you gotta trust your heart and not your head. Look where that led you tonight? Realistically this time drinking beer could be time added to your sleep schedule, yet here you are with me." She replied, a small smirk curving her lips.

"I never really thought of it like that."

"Because you see yourself as stuck, definitely afraid." She answered for him. "Can't go back, don't know what lies ahead."

"Jesus Jackie." He frowned, feeling exposed and vulnerable in front of her, like she just looked at him as though he was a piece of glass.

"I'm sorry." She grimaced, "I shouldn't have said that."

"Don't be, I never had somebody tell me that." He said.

"I need to learn to keep my trap shut." She admitted.

"The thing is, you're not wrong. You know, you should start chargin people to talk to you." He said comfortingly. The two spent hours talking, it coming so naturally to them. After another few beers she stood up, stumbling.

"Are you going to be okay driving home?" He asked, staring at her as she steadied herself. He was much bigger than her, so he barely felt the buzz. She was so consumed in their conversation she didn't even realize how much she was drinking.

"Uh, yeah." She grinned, swaying as she walked to her car. He paid the tab and quickly followed her.

"Jack, I think I should drive you home." He said.

"Are you sure, I don't wanna be a bother." She slurred.

"It's no problem, really." He said, taking her hand and leading her to his car. "I can get you in the morning and drive you back to pick up your car." He offered.

"It's alright, my roommate can do that." She said, getting in the passenger's seat.

"If you say so, where do you live?" He asked.

"865 east oak street, are you familiar with that area?" She slurred, wondering if she'd have to give him more directions.

"Real familiar, my buddy Howie lives around there." He said, pulling out.

"I had a real good time tonight Darry. Thank you." She said, leaning back in the seat.

"Are you free tomorrow morning?" He asked, she sighed.

"I'm at the diner on weekend mornings, what about the evening?" She asked.

"Warehouse." He replied sadly. "What about Sunday evening?"

"That works for me." She grinned, happy they were able to come to a day.

"You should come over for dinner."

"To your place? What about your brothers?" She asked.

"Not to be foreword, but they already know a little about you." He chuckled, he found it weird that he felt comfortable enough to tell her that. For once in his life, he was following his heart more than his head, just like she'd told him to. He'd never think of bringing a girl home after one date, but he knew this was his diamond.

"We're more alike than you think, Darry." She laughed; her friends knew about him too. He drove slowly down the street, her pointing out her house.

"Thanks for the ride, I guess I'll be seeing you Sunday." She said, he gave her a smile.

"See ya Sunday." He said, she gave him a small wave before getting out. Stumbling up the driveway and her stairs to get inside. He made sure she got inside before driving home, a big smile plastered on his face. When he pulled in the driveway, he got out of the car with a pip in his step, walking into chaos.

"There he is! Who were you with?" Two-bit immediately asked, he couldn't stop smiling.

"Y'all remember that one girl that Joe hired?" He asked, unable to hold back his smile.

"Did I hear you right?!" Soda exclaimed, shooting up from his seat.

"Superman's back in the game!" Steve yelled clapping.

"It was just a beer." He shrugged. "Oh, and she's coming for dinner on Sunday."

"Here?!" Pony asked shocked, he hadn't seen his brother look so happy in a long time.

"Where else smarty?" Steve retorted, Pony rolling his eyes at him.

"Darry that's great man." Two-bit said, shaking his head. "Who woulda thunk it."

"Do you think you're gonna get some tail?" Steve asked.

"It ain't about that." Darry said defensively, he had been prepared for that question.

"Well shoot Darry, I'm excited to meet her." Soda grinned, "I'll make something special."

"I'll make dinner." Darry replied, "whenever you cook it sometimes comes out questionable."

"Sometimes?" Two-bit snorted.

"You know y'all can go screw yourselves." Soda said, pretending to be mad, but everybody knew he wasn't.


End file.
